//------------------------------//
// IX - Pinned Down 
// Story: Carbon: Equestria 
// by Alfoals Trottenbauer 
//------------------------------//

Psi Squad trotted through the rusted canyon. Everything was too quiet. Short Circuit couldn't put a hoof on it, but something seemed wrong. The sky darkened, indicating night.

A Moonlight Company sniper peered down on them, but accidentally shifted his hoof on a scrap. 

The squad below heard the scraping noise.

Captain Valence halted the squad.

"You hear that?" Valence whispered.

More scraping.

Rusty Sprockets aimed and fired without the word. He was almost instantly struck down.

"Take cover!" Valence shouted.

Short Circuit lunged behind a rusted washing machine. System was behind half of a car.

Valence was up ahead of Short.

"On my count, run." Valence whispered,

"One... Two... Three!" He shouted the last number.

The squad galloped through the canyon, the snipers above taking their shots and missing. The end of the canyon was near. The clearing was close. A sniper shot just past Short's ear, grazing his mane.

They had reached the end of the canyon, Theta and Lambda Squad were in the distance.

Psi squad galloped to the group.

"Glad to see we've made it this far." General Sparks commented with a weak grin.

Sigma, Alpha, and Beta had arrived shortly after.

"Gentlemen, this is Admiral Quantum." Sparks introduced.

Sparks indicated towards a stalwart-looking stallion with a white coat and a scar across his muzzle. His mane was grey with a dark red stripe through it.

"Men, we have work to do." Was what Quantum greeted the company with.

"All squads and squad leaders will follow Admiral Quantum." Sparks stated.

"Do we have our Pegasus battalion scouting ahead?" Quantum asked as if he had always known the answer was 'no'.

"No." Sparks answered.

"Well, send somepony out of a squad to send the message for aid." Quantum retorted.

"Second Lieutenant, you know what to do." Quantum commanded.

"Yes sir." Omega said as he saluted and galloped off.